Antigone, The Universal And Most Heavily On A Hostile...

While myriad themes that pervade themselves throughout the entirety of Sophocles’ Antigone, the universal and most heavily manifested theme is that regarding the conflict between how individuals choose to make decisions in a society: should one fulfill religious and familial obligations even when they contract the ruling of the state, or rather should the government be able to supersede divine right? In the traditional Greek plays, the familial structure plays a significant role in governing the actions of characters and causing conflicts, such as in the case of Oedipus marrying his mother out of ignorance of familial connection because of divine rule and fate. Moreover, the role of hospitality and the almost unbreakable bond of family are†¦show more content†¦Sophocles thereby highlights Creon’s injustice by showcasing not only the immorality of his actions but also how he easily breaks familial bonds to maintain power and establish a strong government. Du Ga o Idealism: The Root of Antigone’s Downfall in Sophocles’ Antigone Sophocles’ Antigone centers around a familial feud that develops between Antigone and Creon when Antigone decides to bury her brother and Creon’s niece, Polynices. While Antigone believes that it is her religious and familial duty to bury her brother, Creon objects, citing the Theban civil war which took place right before the events of the play. Adhering to Greek literary tradition, Sophocles ultimately seeks not just to entertain the audience, but also to teach a moral lesson, in this case about the consequences that ensue when a tyrannical ruler disobeys divine rule, violate religious obligation, and attempt to place government over religion. In developing the plot and conflicts of the text, Sophocles explores three unique but interconnected themes. Sophocles first considers the role of the individual versus that of the family, then rule by consensus versus that by a monarchy, and finally obligations to religion and tradition versus those to the state. The underlying conflict of Antigone, therefore, is not simply that between Antigone and Creon, but also between the themes